We have walls!!!

Well then....I just realized that my post from earlier this week/last week never went live...oh well, I will have two posts today.

The lights...NIGHTMARE!  They sucked the joy out of dollhousing for two or three days!!!   I tried to follow the method in the book for hanging my ceiling fixtures and it just wasn't working for me!   So I delved deeper and the next night tried the light with the adapter.   I first tested the light in the plug that I installed. (It will be hidden from view in the house behind furniture and whatnot).  The light worked so I started following the instructions.  I cut the plug off the light.  Separated the wires and stripped them.  I checked the light and it worked.  I did the next steps....and heckled the light. It worked.  I reworded that light like a pro.  I finished and plugged my new plug in and voila, it worked!!!!   So I turned my attention to the flush outlet I had to create in the ceiling.  I followed the instructions.    I struggled more with this step....but I eventually got it to where it would work.  The moment of truth...I plugged in the lamp.  I had light!!!!! I was so excited.   For about 5 seconds until the light went out. And from that point on...no matter what I did...I saw no more light!   The kick of it is....when I desired it...you take those words right up to the base of the Light.  So I don't have 'wiggle room' to undo my wiring...strip the wires further down and redo it. So this light maybe unlit.   I was so frustrated the few nights that I worked on the electricity!  I finally decided to take the mini mansion off of the work bench and put it back up on the piano and focus on something else for a bit.

I did think a lot about the electricity though.   Here is the thing.  The dollhouse is wired and electrified!   I hate to give up!  But the hard wiring right now is just waaaaay beyond me and totally not giving me happiness!  So I am compromising.  I will be installing plugs into the house...in places where I can easily hide them behind furniture, plants and other accessories.  I will be creative in my light cord hiding efforts.   The two hanging lamps will hang without electricity for now.  So the house WILL be lit.   Eventually I can go back and pull down those lamps and wore them properly should I desire!!    This electrification will happen soon but I'm working on the 'hiding techniques first as some of them will have to be in place before I plug in!!

In the meantime, I will lay a line of tape wire and a junction box  on a piece of wood.  And I will play.   I will play with hanging ceiling fixtures.  I will try different methods and figure out which is best for me....which one is the most solid...and the best for my dollhouses and my skill level.  

So I'm not out for the count...just changing directions.  And as for the McKinley....I'm still planning on electrifying it.  At the worst it will just have plug in lamps...which is not a big deal, especially since they have the cutest ever little outlet covers at cir kit!!!

The debacle of electricity this week really sucked my dollhouse joy out of me!  I needed to do something to make me smile...to make me giggle...to bring back that joy!  What better than to make my quilt frame for the mini mansion's sewing room!!!   Simple yet adorable!

And of course that caused me to hurry right out and finish up a quilt project that was originally destined for the log cabin but then I changed my mind so it's been sitting unfinished for a while.   But a perfect fit (with a bit of cutting) for the quilt frame.

Ahhh yes, that did the trick and brought the dollhouse joy right back!!!

My workspace is limited and I chose to put together my dollhouse with wood glue versus hot glue gun. I read somewhere that hot glue guns have changed temps and flies over the years and that the lower temp flies are not as 'rugged' as the hot glue guns from years back.  Besides, my brother is a woodworker and my father always dabbled in woodworking as did my grandfather (I remember going into his workshop a few times) and woodworkers don't use hot glue...they use wood glue.  I'm a Clingan So wood glue it is!!!   The instructions to the McKinley do talk about the wood glue method and recommended masking tape if you don't have a plethera of clamps.  (I have access to some clamps from my fathers workshop but I  liked the idea of masking tape!). I've been working slowly on the McKinley...but the slower drying wood glue does slow down the process....plus I've had to wait for paint to dry...and my workspace IS limited (as it is in the middle of my living room area!).  Other than nights where I have been away from home, one night where I moved furniture..real life sized furniture (but the move allows me to see the tv from my workspace....crazy though because since then I haven't turned the tv on...I've listened to music..hahaha). and the few nights where I only worked on that pesky electricity I have done something on the McKinley.   And last. Igor was a BIG night for the McKinley!   The walls went up!!!!!   Why yes...it is starting to take shape!!!!

The third floor is not defined yet as the walls but that will come I'm sure!!!